VisitRhodes.gr - The Colossus of Rhodes The Colossus of Rhodes It's Fantastic Written by Amy Bendall Rhodes is fantastic i would love to go again ang get a loverly tan again i also loved the pool at the hotel that i stayed at. I loved the hotel that i stayed in it had everything that i needed. The weather their was good to sunbath in but at night i could not get to sleep but that doesn't matter. The beach was loverly the sea was just so relaxing to lie in. The peolpe their were so nice to me i made friends with them and i learnt tospeak part of the Greek language. The shop's had English food me ( more...

) SPONSORS <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> <a href=' target='_blank'><img src=' border='0' alt='' /></a> MORE SERVICES Contact us The Colossus of Rhodes The most celebrated artistic work of all that Rhodes produced was the Colossus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, made between 304 and 292 BC. The statue was constructed of bronze plates over an iron framework (very similar to the Statue of Liberty which is copper over a steel frame). According to the book of Pilon of Byzantium, 15 tons of bronze were used and 9 tons of iron. The Colossus, which relied on weaker materials, must have weighed at least as much and probably more. Ancient accounts tell us that inside the statue were several stone columns which acted as the main support. Iron beams were driven into the stone and connected with the bronze outer skin.

Each bronze plate had to be carefully cast then hammered into the right shape for its location in the figure, then hoisted into position and riveted to the surrounding plates and the iron frame. The architect of this great construction was Chares of Lindos, a Rhodian sculptor who was a patriot and fought in defense of the city. Chares had been involved with large scale statues before. His teacher, Lysippus, had constructed a 60-foot high likeness of Zeus. Chares probably started by making smaller versions of the statue, maybe three feet high, then used these as a guide to shaping each of the bronze plates of the skin. It is believed Chares did not live to see his project finished. There are several legends that he committed suicide. In one tale he had almost finished the statue when someone pointed out a small flaw in the construction. The sculptor was so ashamed of it he killed himself. In another version the city fathers decide to double the height of the statue. Chares only doubles his fee, forgetting that doubling the height will mean an eightfold increase in the amount of materials needed. This drove him into bankruptcy and suicide.

The name Colossus derives from the Greek word Colossal meaning something extraordinarily great in size, extent, or degree; gigantic; huge. The Colosseum theatre in Rome also inherited its name from this word which perfectly emphasized the substantial size of the building. 'The Colossus statue was facing east for two reasons: Firstly, because the sun rises from the east to whom the statue was dedicated to. Secondly, it's was wiser to expose the sides of the statue which had the least surface -rather than expose the chest and the back- against the strong Northern and Southern winds which would most likely have endangered the possible collapse of the masterpiece. The Colossus stood proudly at the harbour entrance for some fifty-six years. Each morning the sun must have caught its polished bronze surface and made the god's figure shine. Then an earthquake hit Rhodes and the statue collapsed. Huge pieces of the figure lay along the harbour for centuries. 'Even as it lies', wrote Pliny, 'it excites our wonder and admiration. Few men can clasp the thumb in their arms, and its fingers are larger than most statues. Where the limbs are broken asunder, vast caverns are seen yawning in the interior.

Within it, too, are to be seen large masses of rock, by the weight of which the artist steadied it while erecting it.'It is said that an Egyptian king offered to pay for its reconstruction, but the Rhodians refused. They feared that somehow the statue had offended the god Helios, who used the earthquake to throw it down. In the seventh century A.D. the Arabs conquered Rhodes and broke the remains of the Colossus up into smaller pieces and sold it as scrap metal. Legend says it took 900 camels to carry away the statue. A sad end for what must have been a majestic work of art. Photo Gallery Colossus of Rhodes Colossus of Rhodes ► More 7 Wonders of the Ancient World The Colossus of Rhodes was a 98 foot high statue which towered over the Greek Island of Rhodes. The Ancient Wonder was completed around 280 BC. It was erected to celebrate victory over the army of Cypress which attempted a siege of Rhodes in 305 BC. The city was able to withstand the siege of 40,000 soldiers.

After several failed attempts to gain access to the well defended city, by both land and sea, the invading army left, abandoning their equipment. The sale of this equipment provided the money for the people of Rhodes to construct the Colossus. Greek Titan Helios The Colossus was a massive statue dedicated to the Greek Titan, Helios. In Greek mythology Helios was the sun god. He is said to ride a chariot of the sun around the Earth. Homer believed that the chariot was pulled by four solar steeds. Chares of Lindos The Colossus was cast in Bronze by the great Greek sculptor Chares of Lindos. It is widely believed that he died shortly before the completion of his greatest work. Some historians believe that he committed suicide. One such record states that he killed himself due to the shame caused by a minor flaw in the statue although this is dismissed by many historians as just a myth. Destruction of the Colossus Although the Colossus of Rhodes was a major tourist attraction for over 900 years, the beginning of its destruction began far earlier, when it was just 56 years old.

A massive earthquake hit Rhodes in 226 BC which broke the Colossus at the ankles and left it toppled on the ground. At the time some people wanted to repair and rebuild the Colossus but others took the view that its construction had angered the gods who had chosen to destroy it. It is likely that the deaths caused by the earthquake would have been attributed to the anger of the gods and contributed to the decision to leave it in place on the ground, where the gods wanted it. The Colossus was seen as a symbol of great power and human achievement. Thus, its destruction in a matter of seconds in a mighty earthquake would have been very frightening for the people of Rhodes. The Colossus lay in place for nearly 900 years until Rhodes was invaded by Muslim armies. Several accounts give credence to the idea that it was salvaged for scrap at this time. Rebuilding The Colossus There has been a lot of talk of a new version of the Colossus of Rhodes to be rebuilt on the same site which would become a major international tourist attraction. The most recent project idea is to build a massive 328 foot light installation on the site as a modern version of the Colossus.

This project is in the planning stage and requires an estimated 200 million euros to complete. It is still hoped that a new Colossus of Rhodes will become a reality in the future. 7 Wonders of the Ancient World The Colossus of Rhodes: Enigmatic Wonder of the Ancient World (Article) - Ancient History Encyclopedia by writer873 published on 18 January 2012 The Colossus of Rhodes was an enormous statue depicting the city 's patron god, Helios (the god of the sun), and stood in Mandraki Harbour. Though it stood for little more than 50 years fully intact, its grand size and imposing presence at the coastal entrance of Rhodes made it an undeniable candidate as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is also the wonder about which the least is entirely known. Rhodes was a Greek island that was situated at an intersection of two ancient sea-trade routes, southwest of Asia Minor and near Egypt . When Alexander the Great died unexpectedly in 323 BCE, the administration of his empire and its future were uncertain. Eventually, three of his generals took control and, as a result of several wars, divided the empire into three regions.

Rhodes sided with one general, Ptolemy, who eventually controlled Egypt. Together, they forged a fruitful relationship, as well as control of trade in the eastern Mediterranean. One of the other generals, Antigonus, became riled at this, and tried to convince Rhodes to side with him. Rhodes, of course, balked at this. Antigonus then called on his son Demetrius to invade Rhodes in 305 BCE. Despite an army of 40,000 men and 200 warships, Demetrius was unable to break through Rhodes' impressive defenses and the relief troops that Ptolemy had sent in. Advertisement The colossal statue was erected to honor Helios, the patron god of Rhodes. As a result of this decisive victory, it was determined that a commemorative statue be erected to honor Helios, the patron god of Rhodes. This would prove rather uncomplicated for Rhodes, as Demetrius had left behind all of the equipment he and his army had used in his invasion attempts, and thus the Rhodians were able to finance the construction of the statue with the sale of the goods.

The people of Rhodes called on Greek sculptor Chares of Lindos in 294 BCE to cast a giant bronze sculptural depiction of Helios. Over the course of 12 years, Chares and his men worked to complete the monument. It is generally agreed that it was forged around towers of stone blocks, standing 110 feet high. Helios stood on a 50-foot tall marble base, positioned at the entrance to Rhodes' harbour. Using materials that had been melted down from the weapons left by Demetrius, the stone towers were reinforced with iron beams and the bronze was attached to the shell. The finished statue would have likely depicted Helios standing with his legs together (though this theory differs from others), holding a torch in his right hand, and a spear in his left hand (very evocative of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour). The Colossus of Rhodes was completed in 280 BCE. When Rhodes suffered an earthquake in 224 BCE, the Colossus broke at the knees, the top portion toppling to the ground. Though Ptolemy III offered to reconstruct it, an oracle advised the Rhodians against it.

Therefore, for the next 900 years the ruins of the Colossus of Rhodes lay on the ground, attracting visitors from all over the world to witness its massive scale. When the Arabs conquered Rhodes in 654 CE, the remains were broken down and transported to Syria , and likely sold piece by piece. And thus ends the story of the short-lived wonder of the ancient world, the Colossus of Rhodes. It was arguably one of the most formidable statues of ancient history, and one of the least appreciated. Advertisement Help us write more We're a small non-profit organisation run by a handful of volunteers. Each article costs us about $50 in history books as source material, plus editing and server costs. You can help us create even more free articles for as little as $5 per month , and we'll give you an ad-free experience to thank you! Become a Member Bibliography Anonymous, Past Worlds: Atlas of Archaeology (Harper Collins Publishers, 1988) P. Clayton and M.

Price, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (Barnes and Noble Books, New York, 1988) The Seven Wonders: The Colossus of Rhodes Requires javascript The Colossus of Rhodes Historians believe the Colossus of Rhodes stood at the harbor entrance of the ancient port city. (Copyright LeeKrystek, 2011) Travelers to the New York City harbor see a marvelous sight. Standing on a small island in the harbor is an immense statue of a robed woman, holding a book and lifting a torch to the sky. The statue measures almost one-hundred and twenty feet from foot to crown. It is sometimes referred to as the "Modern Colossus," but more often called the Statue of Liberty. This awe-inspiring statue was a gift from France to America and is easily recognized by people around the world. What many visitors to this shrine to freedom don't know is that the statue, the "Modern Colossus," is the echo of another statue, the original colossus, that stood over two thousand years ago at the entrance to another busy harbor on the Island of Rhodes. Like the Statue of Liberty, this colossus was also built as a celebration of freedom.

This amazing statue, standing the same height from toe to head as the modern colossus, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World . The Island of Rhodes The island of Rhodes was an important economic center in the ancient world. It is located off the southwestern tip of Asia Minor where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean. The capitol city, also named Rhodes, was built in 408 B.C. and was designed to take advantage of the island's best natural harbor on the northern coast. Seven Quick Facts Destroyed: 226 BC by an earthquake Size: Height without 50 foot pedestal was 110 ft. (30m) Made of: Bronze plates attached to iron framework Other: Made in the shape of the island's patron god Helios In 357 B.C. the island was conquered by Mausolus of Halicarnassus (whose tomb is one of the other Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) but fell into Persian hands in 340 BC and was finally captured by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. When Alexander died of a fever at an early age, his generals fought bitterly among themselves for control of Alexander's vast kingdom.

Three of them, Ptolemy, Seleucus, and Antigous, succeeded in dividing the kingdom among themselves. The Rhodians supported Ptolemy (who wound up ruling Egypt) in this struggle. This angered Antigous who in 305 BC sent his son Demetrius to capture and punish the city of Rhodes. The War with Demetrius The war was long and painful. Demetrius brought an army of 40,000 men. This was more than the entire population of Rhodes. He also augmented his force by using Aegean pirates. An engraving by Martin Heemskerck in 16th-century helped to establish the inaccurate harbor spanning pose in people's minds. The city was protected by a strong, tall wall and the attackers were forced to use siege towers to try and climb over it. Siege towers were wooden structures that could be moved up to a defender's walls to allow the attackers to climb over them. While some were designed to be rolled up on land, Demetrius used a giant tower mounted on top of six ships lashed together to make his attack.

This tower, though, was turned over and smashed when a storm suddenly approached, causing the battle to be won by the Rhodians. Demetrius had a second super tower built and called it the Helepolis which translates to "Taker of Cities." This massive structure stood almost 150 feet high and some 75 feet square at the base and weight 160 tons. It was equipped with many catapults and skinned with wood and leather to protect the troops inside from archers. It even carried water tanks that could be used to fight fires started by flaming arrows. This tower was mounted on iron wheels and it could be rolled up to the walls under the power of 200 soldiers turning a large capstan. When Demetrius attacked the city, the defenders stopped the war machine by flooding a ditch outside the walls and miring the heavy monster in the mud. By then almost a year had gone by and a fleet of ships from Egypt arrived to assist Rhodes. Demetrius withdrew quickly, leaving the great siege tower where it was. He signed a peace treaty and called his siege a victory as Rhodes agreed to remain neutral in his war against Ptolemy.

Statue Commemorates Victory Another artist's conception of the statue with a slightly different pose (Copyright Lee Krystek, 1998 ) The people of Rhodes saw the end of conflict differently, however. To celebrate their victory and freedom, the people of Rhodes decided to build a giant statue of their patron god Helios. They melted down bronze from the many war machines Demetrius left behind for the exterior of the figure and the super siege tower became the scaffolding for the project. Although some reportedly place the start of construction as early as 304 BC it is more likely the work started in 292 BC. According to Pliny, a historian who lived several centuries after the Colossus was built, construction took 12 years. The statue was one hundred and ten feet high and stood upon a fifty-foot pedestal near the harbor entrance perhaps on a breakwater. Although the statue has sometimes been popularly depicted with its legs spanning the harbor entrance so that ships could pass beneath, it was actually posed in a more traditional Greek manner. Historians believe the figure was nude or semi-nude with a cloak over its left arm or shoulder.

Some think it was wearing a spiked crown, shading its eyes from the rising sun with its right hand, or possibly using that hand to hold a torch aloft in a pose similar to one later given to the Statue of Liberty. No ancient account mentions the harbor-spanning pose and it seems unlikely the Greeks would have depicted one of their gods in such an awkward manner. In addition, such a pose would mean shutting down the harbor during the construction, something not economically feasible. When the statue was finished it was dedicated with a poem: To you, o Sun, the people of Dorian Rhodes set up this bronze statue reaching to Olympus, when they had pacified the waves of war and crowned their city with the spoils taken from the enemy. Not only over the seas but also on land did they kindle the lovely torch of freedom and independence. For to the descendants of Herakles belongs dominion over sea and land. Colossus To Be Rebuilt? Plans to rebuild the Colossus of Rhodes has been discussed a number of times in the last fifty years. The most recent proposal came in 2008. East German artist Gert Hof hopes to construct a new version of the statue to Helios.

However, he does not wish to make it an exact replica. Instead it will stand up to three times as tall as the original and allow people to enter it. At night it will tell "stories" using an innovative light show. Engineering the Statue The statue was constructed of bronze plates over an iron framework (very similar to the Statue of Liberty which is copper over a steel frame). According to the book of Pilon of Byzantium, 15 tons of bronze were used and 9 tons of iron, though these numbers seem low to modern architects. The Statue of Liberty, roughly of the same size, weighs 225 tons. The Colossus, which relied on weaker materials, must have weighed at least as much and probably more. Ancient accounts tell us that inside the statue were several stone columns which acted as the main support. Iron beams were driven into the stone and connected with the bronze outer skin. Each bronze plate had to be carefully cast then hammered into the right shape for its location in the figure, then hoisted into position and riveted to the surrounding plates and the iron frame. Some stories say that a massive earthen ramp was used to access the statue during construction.

Modern engineers, however, calculate that such a ramp running all the way to the top of the statue would have been too massive to be practical. This lends credence to stories that the wood from the Helepolis seige engine was reused to build a scaffolding around the statue while it was being assembled. The architect of this great construction was Chares of Lindos, a Rhodian sculptor who was a patriot and fought in defense of the city. Chares had been involved with large scale statues before. His teacher, Lysippus, had constructed a 60-foot high likeness of Zeus. Chares probably started by making smaller versions of the statue, maybe three feet high, then used these as a guide to shaping each of the bronze plates of the skin. It is believed Chares did not live to see his project finished. There are several legends that he committed suicide. In one tale he has almost finished the statue when someone points out a small flaw in the construction. The sculptor is so ashamed of it he kills himself. Comparing the Statue of Liberty with the Colossus: Though the bodies are the same size, Liberty stands higher because of the taller pedestal.

In another version the city fathers decide to double the height of the statue. Chares only doubles his fee, forgetting that doubling the height will mean an eightfold increase in the amount of materials needed. This drives him into bankruptcy and suicide. There is no evidence that either of these tales is true, however. Collapse of the Colossus The Colossus stood proudly at the harbor entrance for some fifty-six years. Each morning the sun must have caught its polished bronze surface and made the god's figure shine. Then an earthquake hit Rhodes in 226 BC and the statue collapsed. Huge pieces of the figure lay along the harbor for centuries. A computer simulation suggests that the shaking of the earthquake made the rivets holding the bronze plates together break. At first only a few weak ones gave way, but when they failed the remaining stress was transferred to the surviving rivets, which then also failed in with a cascading effect. Though some accounts related that the statue fell over and broke apart when it hit the ground, it is more likely pieces, starting with the arms, dropped away. The legs and ankles might have even remained in position following the quake. "Even as it lies," wrote Pliny, "it excites our wonder and admiration.

Few men can clasp the thumb in their arms, and its fingers are larger than most statues. Where the limbs are broken asunder, vast caverns are seen yawning in the interior. Within it, too, are to be seen large masses of rock, by the weight of which the artist steadied it while erecting it." It is said that the Egyptian king, Ptolemy III, offered to pay for its reconstruction, but the people of Rhodes refused his help. They had consulted the oracle of Delphi and feared that somehow the statue had offended the god Helios, who used the earthquake to throw it down. In the seventh century A.D., the Arabs conquered Rhodes and broke the remains of the Colossus up into smaller pieces and sold it as scrap metal. Legend says it took 900 camels to carry away the pieces. A sad end for what must have been a majestic work of art. Video: The Destruction of the Great Colossus Copyright Lee Krystek 2011. All Rights Reserved.

Colossus of Rhodes to be rebuilt as giant light sculpture | Art and design | The Guardian Architecture Colossus of Rhodes to be rebuilt as giant light sculpture Details from The Colossus of Rhodes, an 18th century engrvaing by George Balthasar Probst, from the Stapleton Collection. Photograph: Bridgeman Art Library Sunday 16 November 2008 19.01 EST First published on Sunday 16 November 2008 19.01 EST Close This article is 8 years old It may not straddle the port as its predecessor once did, but in terms of sheer luminosity and eye-catching height the new Colossus of Rhodes will not disappoint. Nor will it fall short of the symbolism that once imbued the ancient monument. Twenty-three centuries after craftsmen carved the legendary statue that has inspired legions of painters, poets, playwrights and politicians, a new world wonder, built in the spirit of the original Colossus, is about to be born on the Aegean island.

After decades of dashed hopes, the people of Rhodes will fulfil a long-held dream to revive one of the world's seven ancient wonders - thanks to the promise of international funding and the East German artist Gert Hof. "It will be a unique architectural creation," said the island's mayor, Hatzis Hatziefthimiou, presenting what is likely to become one of the 21st century's largest artistic projects in Dubai last week. "We want to make it a work of global appeal and significance." Like the original, erected in homage to the sun god Helios by the master sculptor Chares of Lindos, the new Colossus will adorn an outer pier in the harbour area of Rhodes, and be visible to passing ships. And like its ancient namesake, the modern-day wonder will be dedicated to celebrating peace and built, at least in part, out of melted-down weapons from around the world. But unlike the ancient Colossus, which stood 34 metres high before an earthquake toppled it in 226BC, the groundbreaking work of art is slated to be much taller and bigger. And unlike previous reconstruction efforts, officials say the Cologne-based design team is determined to avoid recreating a replica.

In the past, new Colossus aficionados have persistently run up against the objections of Greece's powerful lobby of archaeologists. A proposal to recreate the legendary statue in the run-up to the 2004 Athens Olympics whipped up such controversy that opponents claimed its glitzy, we're-bigger-than-you overtones were not only offensive but defiled rather than boosted the country's cultural heritage. "Monumental works can't be copied for the simple reason that they risk becoming caricatures," insisted Hatziefthimiou. Instead, in the spirit of the 21st century the new Colossus has been conceived as a highly innovative light sculpture, a work of art that will allow visitors to physically inspect it by day as well as enjoy - through light shows - a variety of stories it will "tell" by night. "We are talking about a highly, highly innovative light sculpture, one that will stand between 60 and 100 metres tall so that people can physically enter it," said Dr Dimitris Koutoulas, who is heading the project in Greece .

"Although we are still at the drawing board stage, Gert Hof's plan is to make it the world's largest light installation, a structure that has never before been seen in any place of the world." The statue is also expected to cost up to €200m according to yesterday's Vima newspaper. But, in another first that has also been welcomed by the people of Rhodes, international organisations led by the World Trade Centre Association, a network of exporters who promote peace through trade, have weighed in with financial help. "The new Colossus has been the dream of Rhodians for many years," said Yannis Hadzimarkos, president of the Dodecannese Islands' Chamber of Commerce which is also supporting the project. "It will be a marvellous opportunity for the economy of the region even if it is naive to think it will be easy." Backstory Carved by Chares of Lindon, one of antiquity's greatest sculptors, the original Colossus was erected in homage to the Sun god Helios.

It is believed to have been about 120ft high on a 25ft white marble plinth (compared with the Statue of Liberty's 151ft on a 159ft plinth). For almost seven decades it stood over Rhodes before being destroyed by an earthquake in 226BC. In later years, its huge bronze and marble parts were carted off by Arab tradesmen. "Even lying on the ground, it is a marvel," wrote Pliny the Elder. It was so big, he said, that "few people can get their arms around its thumb". Although historians have spent years arguing about the wonder's exact location, artists have always depicted it straddling Rhodes' imposing harbour. Unlike the original statue, which took Chares 12 years to carve in situ, the new statue could be built in less than half that time if adequate funding is found, project organisers say. While the Statue of Liberty was built in France and then assembled in New York, the new Colossus is expected to be built by locals on the island.

The Colossus was included in Sidon's list of the Seven Wonders of the World compiled some 2,137 years ago along with the Pyramids, the Walls and Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in modern Turkey, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and the Lighthouse at Alexandria. Where is the Colossus of Rhodes? - Guerrilla Explorer Where is the Colossus of Rhodes? Posted on by David Meyer The Colossus of Rhodes was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. At over 100 feet tall, it stood far higher than any other statue of its time. Mysteriously, this behemoth disappeared over a thousand years ago and has been missing ever since. So, what happened to it? The Colossus of Rhodes? Rhodes was a powerhouse of the ancient world. After the death of Alexander the Great, it joined forces with Ptolemaic Egypt to control trade in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Unhappy with the situation, King Antigonus I Monophthalmus of Cyprus ordered his son to invade Rhodes. The invasion was turned back.

A subsequent siege also failed and the Cyprus army was forced to flee, leaving behind most of its equipment. The leaders of Rhodes decided to celebrate the victory by constructing a mammoth statue dedicated to Helios, the god of the sun. In 292 BC, the sculptor Chares began work on the statue. He used iron tie bars as framework and giant plates of brass as skin. The Colossus of Rhodes was completed in 280 BC (Chares is believed to have committed suicide shortly before it was finished). It stood close to one hundred and ten feet tall and with the addition of at least one fifty foot high marble pedestal, it reached over one hundred and sixty feet into the sky. There is some confusion regarding the location of the statue. Medieval historians believed that it straddled the harbor with each foot resting on a giant pillar. However, modern archaeologists and engineers consider this unrealistic, since it would’ve been structurally unsound and forced a long-term closure of the port. Instead, they believe that the Colossus of Rhodes rested on a single pedestal or on a hill overlooking the area. The Collapse of the Colossus of Rhodes?

In 226 BC, a giant earthquake struck Rhodes, wreaking havoc on the city. And after just 56 years, the mighty Colossus of Rhodes broke at the knees. Afterwards, the ruins lay on the ground for over 800 years, becoming a tourist attraction in their own right. In 654 AD, a Muslim leader named Muawiyah I conquered Rhodes. Supposedly, he sold the ruins to a Jewish merchant who broke them down and transported them back to his home via camel. However, this may be nothing more than a metaphor. And a great number of men hauled on strong ropes which were tied round the brass Colossus which was in the city and pulled it down. And they weighed from it three thousand loads of Corinthian brass, and they sold it to a certain Jew from Emesa – Barhebraeus, 13th Century Guerrilla Explorer’s Analysis So where is the Colossus of Rhodes today? If we are to believe the stories, then the Colossus is gone, melted down and repurposed. However, in 2008, German archaeologist Ursula Vedder proposed an alternative explanation .

She suggested that the Colossus of Rhodes had originally rested at the top of the Acropolis of Rhodes which sits on a hill overlooking the port. There is a large rock base in the area, situated between a recently discovered stadium and racetrack. If Vedder is correct, then the mystery of the lost Colossus may eventually be solved. For all we know, the giant statue might be lying near these other ruins, buried deep in the sand, waiting for a team of explorers to unearth it. Share this: The Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty | USA.GreekReporter.com The Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty The Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty By Dec 26, 2014 (Fotovolos Apollon. Ancient Corinth Museum.) The famous ‘Statue of Liberty’ is widely recognized across the world. Widely known as a gift from France to America, the statue is believed to be a mark of freedom from colonial shackles, not least because of the inscribed American independence date on the pedestal. The actual history of the statue is rather more than that.

The statue of ‘Libertas’ or the Roman Goddess of Freedom is actually a like-for-like representation of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, statue of ‘Colossus of Rhodes.’ The similarity doesn’t end there. The Statue of Liberty was designed and built to the scale and design of the original Colossus of Rhodes (at least as it was believed to have looked at the time Liberty was constructed). Beginning work in 292 BC, it took Charles of Lindos and his designers nearly twelve years to complete the 110-foot statue, which was then erected on a 50-foot pedestal. The base was carved out of white marble and joined to the cast of feet at the ankles. The status was believed to be dedicated to the Greek God of Sun, Helios (or Apollo), whose blessings were supposedly the driving force for Rhodes’ victory Cyprus (305 BC). The equipments of the vanquished enemy were sold off to finance the building of the statue. It stood for over half-a-century, by which time its fame reached scholars and visitors from far off lands, before a devastating earthquake in 226 BC demolished it.

The dedication script on the statue, according to texts discovered later, spoke of a ‘statue leading to Olympus.’ While the representation of liberty and freedom isn’t entirely misplaced per se, it is mainly believed to be something of a modern metaphor about America being the ‘land of opportunity’ and freedom for immigrants. (Left: The Colossus of Rhodes depicted in 1880; Right: Statue of Liberty) However, being based on another statue which was once a renowned representation of ‘freedom’ for this world, the Status of Liberty certainly owes a major allegiance to the Colossus of Rhodes, both in architectural similarity and significance. Similar facial expression, seven beams of light in exact position with those in the Statue of Liberty and the same dimensions. TAGS The Colossus of Rhodes: Ancient Greek Mega Statue | Ancient Origins 18 June, 2015 - 00:50 Bryan Hill The Colossus of Rhodes: Ancient Greek Mega Statue (Read the article on one page) The Colossus of Rhodes was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the most ambitious and tallest statue of the Hellenistic period.

The last of the seven wonders to be completed, it was a statue built to thank the gods for victory over an invading enemy. Bearing a striking resemblance to the Statue of Liberty in the United States, the Colossus of Rhodes stood for less than sixty years before being destroyed by an earthquake. Some mystery remains as to where it was really located and what happened after it was destroyed. Since ancient times, the small Greek island of Rhodes has been a main intersection between the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas, and was an important economic center in the ancient world. The capital city, also named Rhodes, was built in 408 BC and was designed to take advantage of the island's best natural harbor on the northern coast. In 357 BC the island was conquered by Mausolus of Halicarnassus but fell into Persian hands in 340 BC and was finally captured by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. In the late fourth century BC, Rhodes allied with Ptolemy I of Egypt against their common enemy, Antigonus I Monophthalmus of Macedonia.

In 305 BC, Antigonus sent his son Demetrius to capture and punish the city of Rhodes for its alliance with Egypt. He attacked the island with 40,000 men and weapons and started a war which lasted a year. A relief force of ships sent by Ptolemy arrived in 304 BC, and Antigonus’ army abandoned the siege, leaving behind most of their siege equipment. To celebrate their victory, the Rhodians sold the equipment and decided to use the money to build a huge statue, to their sun god, Helios, called the Colossus of Rhodes. Nearly as tall as the iconic Statue of Liberty built 2,000 years later, the Colossus was also erected as a celebration of freedom. The masterful works of ancient sculptor Phidias The Colossus of Rhodes, depicted in this hand-colored engraving, was built about 280 BC. Standing 30 meters (100 feet) high, it was built to guard the entrance to the harbor at Rhodes. The ancient Greeks and Romans considered it to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Public Domain According to Pliny the Elder, a Greek historian who lived several centuries after the Colossus was built, its construction took 12 years and was completed in 280 BC. The pride of the city, the people thought the statue would stand forever. Charles of Lindos was its architect and was given the task of building a statue nearly twice as tall as any ever built. The base was made of white marble and the structure was gradually erected as bronze plates were fortified over an iron and stone framework. According to the book of “ Pilon of Byzantium” , 15 tons of bronze was used, along with 9 tons of iron, though these numbers seem low to modern architects. Bronze came from another unlikely source. It was decided to fashion the colossus from the bronze weapons of their defeated invaders along with a captured giant enemy siege tower, some nine stories in height which served as the scaffolding of the project.

When the statue was finally finished, it was dedicated with a poem: Preserved in Greek anthologies of poetry is what is believed to be genuine dedication text for the Colossus: To you, o Sun, the people of Dorian Rhodes set up this bronze statue reaching Olympus, When they had pacified the waves of war and crowned their city with the spoils taken from the enemy. Not only over the seas but also on land did they kindle the lovely torch of freedom and independence. For to the descendants of Herakles belongs dominion over seas and land. The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of superhuman proportions. It stood over 107 feet (30 meters) high, making it one of the largest statues in the ancient world; the thigh alone was supposedly 11 feet (3 meters) in width, the ankle 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length. Colossal statues, then and now. Left, illustration of the Colossus of Rhodes in ancient Greece, and right, the Statue of Liberty of the United States of America. (Public Domain) Today, nobody’s exactly sure how the Colossus of Rhodes looked or what its posture was.

The only thing for certain is that it did not stand with its legs stretched across the harbor entrance as depicted in many medieval drawings. If the completed statue had straddled the harbor, the entire mouth of the harbor would have been effectively closed during the entirety of the construction. Colossus of Rhodes Facts Colossus of Rhodes Facts Colossus of Rhodes Facts The Colossus of Rhodes is a statue that was built on the Greek island of Rhodes between 292 and 280 BC. The statue was a depiction of the Greek Titan Helios and was meant to celebrate their victory over the ruler of Cyprus in 305 BC. At 98.4 feet high, the Colossus of Rhodes was one of the tallest statues of the ancient world. It only stood for 56 years until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC. When the ruler of Cyprus was defeated they left behind much of their equipment. The Rhodians sold the equipment and used the money to build the Colossus of Rhodes. Interesting Colossus of Rhodes Facts: The Rhodians also used brass and iron from the equipment left behind to build the statue.

The Statue of Liberty has been referred to as the ‘Modern Colossus'. The Colossus of Rhodes was approximately 98.4 feet tall and Statue of Liberty stands at 111 feet, 6 inches, from her heel to the top her head. The Colossus of Rhodes stood on a 50 foot high white marble pedestal. There is a plaque inside the pedestal of Statue of Liberty that is inscribed with a sonnet called ‘The New Colossus'. It was written by Emma Lazarus and includes the following reference to the Colossus of Rhodes: ‘Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame.' Both the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty were built as symbols to freedom. Both the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty were built in busy harbours. Construction of the Colossus of Rhodes took 12 years to complete. Some historians believe that the statue depicted Helios as either being nude or semi-nude with a robe. Some accounts suggest he wore a crown and that this hand was up in the air. The statue was built with an iron frame work. Over this they used brass plates to create the skin and outer structure of Helios.

Some historians believe that Helios was built with one foot on either side of the harbour. Others have discounted this theory and believe that he stood in a more Greek Pose. If the statue had been built with Helios' legs straddling the harbour, the harbour would have had to be closed for the 12 years of construction. It would also have blocked the harbour when it fell. Charles of Lindos was the architect of the Colossus of Rhodes. His teacher was Lysippus, a sculptor who had previously created a 60 foot tall statue of Zeus. The Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed in an earthquake in 226 BC, but pieces of the statue lay where it fell for centuries afterwards. Ptolemy III, the king of Egypt offered to pay for the Colossus' reconstruction. The Rhodians refused. They believed that Helios himself was angered by the statue and caused the earthquake that destroyed it. The Rhodians were conquered by the Arabs in the 7th century A.D. The Arabs dismantled what was left of the Colossus and sold it as scrap metal. It was reported that it took approximately 900 camels to carry away all the scrap metal.

Related Links: Things I Didn’t Know, Art History Edition: The Colossus | Select Study Abroad Florence Things I Didn’t Know, Art History Edition: The Colossus Posted onJanuary 31, 2013 Tags Art History , Colosseum , Rome & Pompeii , Rome History This blog series is an excuse to keep track of all the random tidbits we uncover in our day-to-day life as students, guides, teachers, and just generally interested and curious people. I know it is not everyone’s prerogative to find out exactly how renaissance babies were swaddled, what 16th century widows wore, or what famous members of the Medici family did with their free time, just to better understand a work of art. So I will spare you our endless Early Modern machinations and just give you the good stuff. The Colossus (of Rome, Rhodes, and New York): We’re heading down to Rome tomorrow for a whirlwind tour of the sites and doing some requisite brushing up on our notes.

While discussing the Flavian Amphitheater, aka the Colosseum, and the origins of this now ubiquitous nickname, I realized there were some holes in my knowledge that needed plugging up. One question lead to the next and suddenly I had gone from a colossus in Rome to images of a lost colossus in Rhodes, back home to New York to a colossus I too often forget. Let’s begin in Rome. The Falvian Amphiteahter (Amphitheatrum Flavium), so named after the dynasty that erected it, was constructed (in record speed) between the years 72-80AD. Shortly before they began this awe-inspiring structure, and just down the road, Emperor Nero (the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty) was making a 30 meter (100 foot, 107 roman feet) bronze statue of himself that would come to be called The Colossus Neronis. When it was finished in 68AD it was erected in a large atrium of Nero’s Domus Aurea, his imperial villa complex, essentially dividing his private home from the city outside.

Left: The Colossus of Nero statue erected next to the Colosseum in Rome; Right: Coin of Emperor Gordian III (238-244 AD), the reverse of which depicts the Flavian amphitheater with the colossus of Nero. Shortly after Nero’s death in that same year, the Emperor Vespasian added a crown decorated with rays of sunlight and renamed it the Colossus Solis, after the Roman sun god Helios (Sol). Later succeeding emperors would place their own heads atop the colossus just in time to have their successor take it down to make room for their own. Around 128AD, Emperor Hadrian had the statue moved from its original location outside Nero’s Villa to the northwest corner of the Falvian Amphitheater (at this time, this was its only name…though we may speculate people called it the “flav” or something catchy like that). Moving this massive statue required the use of no less than 24 elephants and, no doubt, innumerable slaves.

It was from this Colossus Nero/Helios/your-typical-narcissistic-emperor, that the Flavian Amphitheater got its (initially, nick-) name the Colosseum. The name referred simply to the building’s close proximity to the colossus statue. It’s unclear when the sculpture was destroyed, but it was late enough that most people had forgotten the origin of the nickname. The word “Colosseum” (colosseo in Italian) now refers specifically to this amphitheater in downtown ancient Rome. Our latest literary source of the now practically forgotten colossus statue is this 8th century epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede: Quamdiu stat Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus (“as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world”). While Rome did fall and so did the Colossus, the world went on (albeit it had a killer hangover to deal with).

However, the Colossus Nero was only one piece in a very old and interesting theme in history. Left: Colossus of Rhodes by Martin Heemskerck; Right: Artist impression of Colossus of Rhodes, illustrated in the Grolier Society’s 1911 Book of Knowledge. Flashback to ancient Rhodes where, in the 3rd century BC, another colossus loomed over the city’s harbor. The statue of Nero, who gave its name to the Colosseum, was inspired by and possible named after this earlier colossus of the Greek god Helios (making it basically the Colosseum’s granddad). Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, this colossus is described in the words of the great Roman authors Philo and Pliny who saw it first hand and later printed and painted in the highly imaginative minds of the of the artists of middle ages and the Renaissance. The colossus was erected in the city of Rhodes on the Greek island of Rhodes between 292 and 280 BC.

Supposedly by the artist Chares of Lindos, student of the great Lysippos, the colossus stood over 30 meters (100 feet) high, making it one of the tallest statues of the ancient world and requiring twelve years for its completion. Dedicated to Rhodes’ patron god, Helios (God of the Sun), the statue was built to celebrate Rhodes’ victory over the ruler of Cyprus in 305 BC. The money to build the massive monument was obtained through the sale of the deserted equipment left by their vanquished enemy. The statue stood for 56 years until Rhodes suffered a devastating earthquake in 226BC. It seems that the Rhodian Colossus may have cheated, just a wee bit, in the height department. The Colossus stood on 15 meter (50 foot) high white marble pedestals, giving the statue a total of height of 45 meters (150 feet). The monument’s exact location is still debated, but was likely somewhere near the harbor entrance or else in the harbor itself.

The supposed dedication text speaks of the “bronze statue reaching to Olympus,” in its height and to whom “belongs dominion over sea and land.” Maerten van Heemskerck, Self-Portrait in Rome with the Colosseum 1553, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge From this poetic reference to the Colossus “over sea and land” came the later, completely invented, standing position of the statue literally over the harbor entrance. Images of him straddling the harbor with vessels below, for example in a 16th-century engraving by Martin Heemskerck, were proliferated throughout the Renaissance. Aside from this design likely being too difficult to construct with ancient engineering technology, a statue of this kind would have buckled under its own weight well before it reached this stage of completion. Heemskerck’s image was part of series of the Seven Wonders of the World, which, interestingly, included an additional eighth wonder, the Colosseum in Rome. Unlike the rest of his imagined wonders, Heemskerck showed the Colosseum as it looked in his day, in ruins.

Once the Colossus of Rhodes had fallen in the earthquake in 226, its ruins were left to act as a tourist trap of their own for another 800 years. They are even described by Strabo and Pliny the Elder, the latter remarking that someone standing next to the fallen hands could not even wrap their arms around the circumference of the thumb and that each of its individual fingers were larger than most statues. Left: The Colossus of Rhodes depicted in 1880; Right: Statue of Liberty Fast forward to late 19th Century, New York City, where the Statue of Liberty is being installed on Liberty Island in New York Harbor. Looking at the above image, a reconstruction of the Colossus of Rhodes by 19th century engineers (using their understanding of building technology in 3rd Century BC), we can see that, perhaps, Lady Liberty’s design and pose were based on modern historical imagination.

We know the artist, Frédéric Bartholdi, had the Colossus of Rhodes in mind for other earlier projects, in particular one in which the form of an ancient Egyptian female acted as a lighthouse just as the Greek god in Rhodes had stood at a harbor with a light to guide ships. Similarly Lady Liberty guides those lost souls into her harbor with her torch. The most direct reference to this ancient inspiration is, of course, her diadem. This detail, which breaks from other iconography used for the goddess Liberty, shows the Lady crowned like Helios with the rays of sunlight that were found on both the Colossus of Rhodes and later the Colossus of Nero. Looking at the Statue of Liberty, we might easily reference a section from the original dedication of the Colossus at Rhodes: “Not only over the seas but also on land did they kindle the lovely torch of freedom and independence.” From Rhodes, to Rome, to New York, each colossus would come to represent the identity of a city, spreading ideas of victory, decadence, and freedom. In Rhodes, there has been talk of actually attempting to rebuild the Colossus.

I can’t say I wouldn’t be a wee bit curious and, of course, tourism is a big reason behind the idea. However, the hefty sum it would cost has put the breaks on this plan for many years. In as late as November 2008 , it was announced that funding had finally been procured to rebuild one of the seven wonders of the world. Though not quite as the original builders had done 2300 years ago. First of all, this new sculpture will be at least twice as large, ranging from 60- 100 meters and big enough for people to actually walk inside. Second, instead of construction consisting mostly of mud and bronze, this will be a “light sculpture” or, essentially, a light installation. Of course, twice the size means twice the cost and it is estimated the final bill will come in at roughly €200m, a sum that will be fronted by several international donors including a German artist named Gert Hof. Whether it happens or not (I have not been able to find any further or later information on the progress of the project), I think the third deviation from the original was my favorite part of the concept.

Unlike the original, which was built using the money sold from weapons, this colossus will be built using the weapons themselves. Referring to the ancient version’s symbolic message of peace, this colossus will me made using the metal of melted-down weapons from around the world.

Question: The Colossus of Rhodes is dedicated to whom?
Answer: HELIOS